Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra: Online Concert Programme | Fri 7 June 2024 | Bristol Beacon (2024)

Bristol Beacon presents

Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra with Kirill Karabits

Fri 7 June 2024, 7.30pm

This evening’s performance:

Kirill KarabitsConductor
Liya Petrova Violin
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra

Karayev The Seven Beauties Suite
Korngold Violin Concerto
Interval
Dvořák Symphony No. 9 ‘From the New World’

Pre-concert talk hosted by music educator Jonathan James

Welcome

I’m delighted to welcome you to the final concert in this triumphant first orchestral season in Bristol’s new Beacon Hall.

It has been such a joy to see so many of you coming back time after time to enjoy the cream of orchestras and soloists giving their very best in our fine new acoustic. All our visiting musicians have told us how enjoyable it is to play here and I’m sure that has been reflected in the quality and joy of the performances we have heard.

The new season for 2024/25 is now on sale – several concerts sold out this season so it really is worth booking early to make sure you get in.

Tonight’s concert is the final main season concert from Kirill Karabits as Chief Conductor of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, but as a special bonus he will be back during our BBC Proms around the UK weekend on Sun 25 August.

On a personal level this will be my last orchestral concert as CEO of Bristol Beacon and I thank you all for your support and encouragement over the last 13 years. We are nothing without the audiences we serve and I’m sure there are many happy years of concert-going to come.

Louise Mitchell CBE
Chief Executive, Bristol Beacon

Kara Karayev (1918-1982): The Seven Beauties Suite

Introduction: The Seven Portraits
The Indian Beauty
The Byzantine Beauty
The Maghrebian Beauty
The Chinese Beauty
The Most Beautiful of the Beauties
Waltz

Kara Karayev’s The Seven Beauties, was the first full-length Azerbaijani ballet, premiered on 7 November 1952 at the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre, in Baku. It was an instant success, taken up by other ballet companies across the USSR.

Literature provided Karayev with an important source of ideas for his music. Among his favourite authors was the twelfth-century Persian Sunni Muslim poet Nizami Ganjavi (1141 – 1209), whose epic poem The Seven Beauties, written in 1197, provided the inspiration for a symphonic suite of the same name (1949), which Karayev subsequently recast as a ballet. The scenario, which draws on incidents from several of Nizami’s poems, focuses on the love between Aysha, an artisan member of a downtrodden people, and Bachram Shah, their f*ckless ruler, whom his evil Vizir manipulates in his lust for power.

Early in the ballet, Bachram Shah seeks shelter from a storm in an old castle; there a hermit shows him portraits of seven beautiful women from different countries. As dawn breaks the portraits come to life and dance for him; the experience leaves him bewitched. For this scene, Karayev creates a sequence of colourful vignettes, redolent of sparkling instrumental colours. Horn and flute solos over eerie string arpeggios set the scene in the mysterious Introduction, after which ‘The Indian Beauty’ is evoked by a tender flute solo accompanied by a gently rocking rhythm. In the energetic ‘The Byzantine Beauty’, strings are to fore, the melody having a distinctly Eastern tinge. The music of ‘The Maghrebian Beauty’ is darkly enticing, the accompanying bolero rhythm heard on wind, brass, and castanets; it surges to a sensual climax implying, perhaps, that she is the most dangerous of the beauties! Her dance is contrasted with the light-hearted, appropriately pentatonic, theme of ‘The Chinese Beauty’, introduced by flute and bass clarinet. Lastly, the delicate loveliness of ‘The Most Beautiful of the Beauties’ is enshrined by a solo oboe accompanied by wind and harp arpeggios, recalled from the Introduction, as is the decorative idea in the flute.
The Waltz comes from the ballet’s final act, in which Bachram despairs because Aysha has spurned his love due to his oppressive rule. He visits the castle again to seek oblivion by seeing the beauties once more. They appear, dancing with him to this superb, obsessive and edgy waltz, worthy of both Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev. To Bachram Shah, the beauties now seem unreal shadows, a nightmarish vision of beauty distorted.

© Andrew Burn

Composer profile

The Azerbaijani composer, teacher, folklore authority and artistic dynamo, Kara Karayev, was the leading figure in the musical life of his country for nearly four decades after the end of the Second World War, as well as being recognised as one of the significant composers of the post-war Soviet era. He acknowledged with pride the influence of his nation’s folk music on his own compositions which are suffused with its melodic inflections and rhythmic traits: ‘Traditional music of Azerbaijan is my native language. As a composer I grew up on Azerbaijani folk melodies and, regardless of whatever artistic problem I am working on, I cannot, and do not want to break away from their influence.’ This yardstick he combined with a flair for lyricism, rhythmic verve, and in his orchestral works deft, colourful instrumental scoring.

He was born in Baku, Azerbaijan’s capital city on the Caspian Sea, in 1918. After studying composition and traditional music at the Azerbaijan State Conservatory, Karayev’s innate musical gifts took him in 1938 to the Moscow Conservatory where, from 1942 to 1946, he was a pupil of Shostakovich. During the war, in collaboration with his contemporary Akhmet Hajiyev, he wrote a patriotic opera extolling heroism, Fatherland. It won an Azerbaijani state prize in 1946 and established Karayev’s reputation, which was enhanced by his graduation work, the Second Symphony (1946). Despite demonstrating Shostakovich’s influence, the symphony nevertheless revealed the distinctive qualities of Karayev’s voice.

Among his compositions, pride of place must go to his ballets The Seven Beauties (1953) and The Path of Thunder (1958); other notable works include his Third Symphony (1965) scored for chamber orchestra, the symphonic poem Leyla and Mejnun (1947), which won him a Stalin Prize, and what the composer described as ‘symphonic prints’, Don Quixote (1960). Significant among his chamber and instrumental works are his Preludes for piano (1951 – 63), and he wrote many scores for theatre and films, for example the music for the prosaically named documentary Song of the Oil Workers of the Sea (1954).

After his return to Azerbaijan, alongside composing, he took an active part in the country’s musical life, for instance, as Rector, then later professor at the State Conservatory, where he broadened the syllabus, introducing jazz studies, for example, as well as becoming President and First Secretary of the Azerbaijani Composers’ Union; later he would receive the accolade of President of the Composers Union of the USSR. His last years were dogged with poor health due to a heart condition; he moved to Moscow, living largely out of the public eye until his death there in 1982.

Today his music still holds its place in Azerbaijan; however, it is now less frequently played in the countries of the former Soviet Union. Kirill Karabit’s evident enthusiasm for Karayev’s music is infectious and he has been keen to introduce to BSO audiences: ‘I’m pretty sure that this music will be an interesting experience for the audiences. Karayev’s music style is strongly related to Shostakovich/Mahler tradition from one side and to Tchaikovsky ballets from the other which makes the music extremely interesting and original.’

© Andrew Burn

Erich Wolfgang Korngold (1897-1955): Violin Concerto

1. Moderato nobile
2. Romance: Andante
3. Finale: Allegro assai vivace

Korngold was born in Brünn, then part of Austria, which is now known as Brno in the Czech Republic. He was a child prodigy of phenomenal gifts. Aged nine he was described by Mahler as a genius. Richard Strauss commented: “this firmness of style, this sovereignty of form, this individual expression, this harmonic structure – one shudders with awe to realise these compositions were written by a boy.” By the age of twenty he had produced operas, a ballet, sonatas and other major chamber works.

Until the revival of interest in his concert music, Korngold was remembered primarily for his Hollywood film scores. However, it was not until 1934 that Max Reinhardt invited him to prepare a score for his film of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, thus opening up what was to be a highly successful career. He is now regarded as one of the greatest masters in Hollywood’s Golden Age of film composers – 1930s to 1950s. Among his finest scores are The Adventures of Robin Hood, The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex and The Sea Hawk. Korngold’s move to Hollywood did not mark the end of his classical or concert-hall compositions. Two major works from his final decade are his Symphonic Serenade for Strings of 1948 and his Symphony in F sharp minor from 1950.

Korngold sketched his Violin Concerto in D major in 1937 but his dissatisfaction led him to revise the work in 1945. Though originally intended for Bronislav Hubermann, it was Jascha Heifetz who gave the premiere on 15 February 1947, with the St Louis Orchestra, conducted by Vladimir Golschmann. Heifetz became its most ardent champion and its renewed popularity over the past quarter century is easily understood, since this is music of expansive and opulent Romanticism, imbued with a powerful ‘hothouse’ atmosphere and memorably melodic. It is the most frequently performed of all Korngold’s works.

Without preamble, the soloist introduces the first theme, a yearning, expansive melody which Korngold adapted from his music for the film Another Dawn. The second theme, which he re-used in his film-score for Juarez, is also introduced by the soloist and begins with even wider intervals than those of the first theme. Between these lyrical melodies, and again in the cadenza, development and coda, the violin-writing is more virtuosic.

The central, intensely expressive Romance, in which the ethereal tone-colours of celesta and vibraphone make telling contributions, is based on a melody from the Oscar-winning score for Anthony Adverse. In the fantasy-like middle section, marked misterioso, the muted solo violin has more animated figuration, contrasting with the generally more tranquil outer sections.

In the finale Korngold exploits the potential of a single theme – this one borrowed from his film-score for The Prince and the Pauper – with great resourcefulness, within an overall structure resembling sonata form. Here the emphasis is on virtuosity. The initial jig-like theme in 6/8, which is closely related to the opening theme of the concerto, is later transformed into longer notes in 2/4 to serve as the second subject. A faster, even more dazzling variant is reserved for the coda, in which the soloist has to contend with a profusion of double-stopping.

© Philip Borg-Wheeler

Antonin Dvořák (1841-1904): Symphony No. 9 ‘From the New World’

1. Adagio – Allegro molto
2. Largo
3. Scherzo: Molto vivace
4. Allegro con fuoco

Dvořák’s Symphony No 9, ‘From the New World’, was the product of the period when he was Director of the National Conservatory of Music in New York between 1892 and 1895. As a child he had read a Czech translation of Longfellow’s Song of Hiawatha, and after re-reading it in 1892, he was inspired to note down some musical sketches, one of which became the central episode of the Largo of what was to become his Ninth Symphony. Dvořák continued work on the composition early in 1893, completing and orchestrated it by May. The first performance took place the same year, in Carnegie Hall, New York, on 16 December, by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Anton Seidl. Dvořák was given an ovation.

The Symphony in E minor has maintained its popularity ever since its highly successful première. As far as its title and any American influences are concerned, it is probably best to quote the composer: “I know that if I had not seen America I would never have written my Symphony the way I did; but please forget all that nonsense about my having made use of original American national melodies.” The New York Herald’s review of the first performance puts the matter in its proper perspective: “It is a distinctive American work in so far as it gave the Czech composer’s impression of our country.” After all, by 1893 Dvořák was an experienced composer who had developed a thoroughly personal style.

The first movement has a deeply felt introduction which may have been inspired by Dvořák’s thoughts on leaving his homeland. In fact, this Adagio contains the germ of the Allegro molto which succeeds it, and the rhythmic pattern is similar to that which is often found in his Slavonic Dances. For the most part the music has a bounding energy, but the transition to the lyrical second subject takes on the character of folksong. This fine movement features both cogent development and imaginative orchestration, and there is no lack of symphonic tension, for this is finally and powerfully released as the recapitulation spills into the vigorous coda.

An introductory chord sequence moves the music from E Major to the D flat of the Largo’s celebrated cor anglais tune. This establishes a mood of intense nostalgia, which proves to be the foil to the turbulent ‘Hiawatha’ middle section. At the climax Dvořák brings back the second subject of the previous movement alongside the first theme of the Largo, and even combines these ideas before ending the movement in a mood of tranquillity and with the return of the chord sequence.

The Scherzo is vigorous and abounds in typically Czech cross-rhythms. The two themes are deployed with variety and imagination, and they are even manipulated so that the one accompanies the other, once again in a manner familiar from the Slavonic Dances. The central trio is more lightly scored, and features some especially effective writing for flute and oboe.

There is a short introduction which precedes the main theme of the finale. This movement proves fiery indeed, based on the melody announced by horns and trumpets, but the content is also flexible, including a clarinet tune which offers an effective contrast. Ideas from the earlier movements are worked into the fabric and a climax is built, at the peak of which the brass thunder out the opening theme of the first movement. In the final stages Dvořák builds a powerful peroration, but the final chord fades away to silence, making an unexpected and imaginative ending.

© Terry Barfoot

Kirill Karabits
Conductor

Kirill Karabits has been Chief Conductor of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra for 15 years and their relationship has been celebrated worldwide. Together they have made many critically acclaimed recordings, performed regularly at the BBC Proms and appeared together at London’s Barbican Centre as part of the Beethoven celebrations.

Karabits has worked with many of the leading ensembles of Europe, Asia and North America, including the Cleveland, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Chicago Symphony orchestras, Munich Philharmonic, Orchestre National de France, Philharmonia Orchestra, Wiener Symphoniker, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Filarmonica del Teatro La Fenice and the BBC Symphony Orchestra – including a concertante version of Bluebeard’s Castle at the Barbican Centre.

Recent highlights include Kirill’s return to the English National Opera for a production of Die tote Stadt, to Opernhaus Zürich for La Boheme, and to The Grange Festival for Così fan tutte. Last season saw Kirill perform with Opéra National de Bordeaux, Orchestre National de Montpellier, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice, and embark on an extensive Korean Tour conducting the Chamber Orchestra of Europe alongside pianist Sunwook Kim. Kirill has also enjoyed conducting at the Edinburgh Festival and joining Mikhail Pletnev on extensive European and North American tours which included his New York debut at the Lincoln Center.

Highlights of the 2023-24 season include Kirill’s return to the Dallas Symphony, the Weimar Staatskapelle conducting the Hungarian premiere of Liszt’s Sardanapalo Opera, and to the Theater an der Wien for a new production of Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette Opera. Alongside his own Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Kirill will open the season at the newly refurbished Bristol Beacon with a brand new work Beacons, written by Mark Anthony Turnage and dedicated to the venue. On an invitation from the Ludwig van Beethoven Association in Poland, Kirill conducts Krzysztof Penderecki’s momentous Polish Requiem at the opening of the Polish History Museum in Warsaw as part of a series of television recordings for Kultura TV.

A prolific opera conductor, Karabits has worked with the Deutsche Oper, Opernhaus Zürich (Boris Godunov, La Bohème) and Oper Stuttgart (Death in Venice), Glyndebourne Festival Opera (La Bohème, Eugene Onegin), Staatsoper Hamburg (Madama Butterfly), English National Opera (Don Giovanni, Die tote Stadt), The Grange Festival (Così fan tutte) ,and he conducted a performance of Der fliegende Holländer at the Wagner Geneva Festival in celebration of the composer’s anniversary. Music Director of the Deutsches Nationaltheatre Weimar from 2016-19, Karabits conducted acclaimed productions of Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg and Tannhäuser as well as Mozart’s DaPonte Cycle (Le nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni, and Così fan tutte).

Working with the next generation of bright musicians is of great importance to Kirill, and as Artistic Director of I, CULTURE Orchestra he conducted them on their European tour in August 2015 with Lisa Batiashvili as soloist and a summer Festivals’ tour in 2018, including concerts at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and the Montpellier Festival. In 2012 and 2014 he conducted the televised finals of the BBC Young Musician of the Year Award (working with the Royal Northern Sinfonia and BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra), and has collaborated with the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain on a UK tour, including a critically acclaimed performance at the Barbican.

Kirill was named Conductor of the Year at the 2013 Royal Philharmonic Society Music Awards.

Liya Petrova
Violin

Bulgarian-born violinist Liya Petrova was revealed to the international scene in 2016 when she took First Prize at the Carl Nielsen competition in Denmark, chaired by Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider. Not long after, her recording of the Nielsen concerto and Prokofiev’s first concerto with the Odense Philharmonic and Kristiina Poska on Orchid Classics earned her international critical acclaim. In 2023, her latest album featuring the Walton concerto with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under Duncan Ward and the Respighi sonata with pianist Adam Laloum was Gramophone’s Editor’s choice and BBC Music Magazine’s Concerto Choice. Critics have praised her “gorgeous sound” (Sunday Times), “exceptional talent” (BBC Music Magazine) , “warmth and virtuosity” (Strad).

As a soloist, Petrova is the guest of orchestras such as the Orchestre de Paris, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio-France, Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Antwerp Symphony, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, Symfonieorkest Vlaanderen, Brussels Philharmonic, Orchestre National de Lyon, Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo, Orchestre National de Bordeaux, Orchestre National des Pays de Loire, Orchestre National de Montpellier, Philharmonie Zuid-Nederlands, China State Symphony Orchestra, Hong Kong Sinfonietta, Staatskapelle Weimar, Norddeutsche Philharmonie, Kansai Philharmonic, Wroclaw Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonia Varsovia, Odense Symphony Orchestra, with such leading conductors as Elim Chan, Stanislas Kochanovsky, Duncan Ward, Philippe Herreweghe, Krzysztof Penderecki, Tan Dun, Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider, Catherine Larsen-Maguire, Martyn Brabbins, Alexander Liebreich, Mihhail Gerts, Kristiina Poska, Yan Tortelier, Xian Zhang, Ariane Matiakh, Roberto Minasi, Christopher Warren-Green, Michel Tabachnik or Jesús López Cobos.

She plays chamber music regularly with French Tchaikovsky competition 1st prize winner Alexandre Kantorow and performs with many wonderful musicians like Beatrice Rana, Emmanuel Pahud, Pablo Ferrandez, Martha Argerich, Yuri Bashmet, Mischa Maisky, Renaud Capuçon, Augustin Dumay, James Ehnes, Nicholas Angelich, Frank Braley, Yuja Wang, Gérard Caussé, Antoine Tamestit, Bruno Philippe, Aurélien Pascal and Gautier Capuçon. Petrova is a regular guest of chamber music festivals like the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Festspiele, Rheingau Festival, Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele, Aix-en-Provence Easter Festival, La Folle Journée, La Roque d’Anthéron International Festival and the Rencontres Musicales d’Evian.

Liya has been recording for the French label Mirare since 2020. In the spring 2023. she presented her latest album, Momentum 1, a stunning Walton and Respighi album. Her two previous albums on Mirare were a Beethoven-Barber-Britten recital album with pianist Boris Kusnezow in 2020 followed the follwoing year by the Beethoven violin concerto and Mozart’s rarely performed K 271 concerto, known as n° 7, with Jean-Jacques Kantorow and the Sinfonia Varsovia. Earlier, Liya had released a Nielsen and Prokofiev album on Orchid Classics with the Odense Symphony Orchestra and Kristiina Poska. All of her albums received unanimous praises from critics worldwide.

Liya Petrova was born in Bulgaria into a family of musicians and studied with Augustin Dumay at Brussels’ Chapelle Musicale Reine Elisabeth, Antje Weithaas at the Hochschule für Musik Hans Eisler Berlin and Renaud Capuçon at the Haute Ecole de Musique in Lausanne. She now lives in Paris.

Liya plays a magnificent 1742 « Rovelli » Guarnerius del Gesu thanks to the support of her generous sponsor.

Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra

One of the UK’s best-loved orchestras, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra is a professional ensemble known for championing the role of culture in people’s lives. Based at Lighthouse, Poole, it has residencies in Bristol, Exeter, Portsmouth, Southampton, and Yeovil, and performs in towns and villages throughout the region. It is the largest cultural provider in the South West, serving one of the biggest and most diverse regions in the UK.

The Orchestra is known for pushing artistic boundaries, and during Kirill Karabits’ 15-year tenure its ongoing survey of music from Ukraine and beyond — its Voices from the East series — has continued to gain praise. Recent highlights include a day-long celebration at London’s Southbank Centre, and digital releases of music by Akimenko and Nurymov on Chandos. The BSO’s Digital Concerts have cemented its reputation for presenting live music of the highest quality, with a further 17 symphonic broadcasts scheduled for 2024/25.

The BSO leads hundreds of community-based events each year, from award-winning work in health settings to partnerships with education providers. Following international attention for igniting change, BSO Resound. the world’s first professional disabled-led ensemble at the core of a major orchestra, continues to challenge perceptions.

bsolive.com

Orchestra Credits

Violin 1
Amyn Merchant (Leader)
Edward Brenton
Kate Turnbull §
Jennifer Curiel §
Tim Fisher §
Isabella Fleming
Julie Gillett-Smith
Kate Hawes §
Joan Martinez
Stuart MacDonald
Gaia Ramsdell
Olena Pushkarska
Tayfun Bomboz
Rowan Patterson

Violin 2
Carol Paige *
Savva Zverev
June Lee
Boglárka György (T)
Vicky Berry §
Eddy Betancourt
Rebecca Burns
Lara Carter §
Hannah Renton
Aysen Ulucan
Sohpie Phillips
Rachael Briton

Viola
Tom Berry
Carys Barnes
Judith Preston §
Diana Mathews
Alison Kay
Stephanie Chambers
Sophia Rees
Kevin Saw
Katie Perrin
Rachel Stacy

Cello
Jesper Svedberg *
Aristide du Plessis
Auriol Evans
Hannah Arnold
Philip Collingham Ω
Rebecca McNaught
Judith Burgin
Kate Keats

Double Bass
David Daly * §
Nicole Carstairs §
Mike Chaffin
Jane Ferns §
William Hollands
Dawn Baker

Flute
Anna Pyne *
Camilla Marchant

Piccolo
Owain Bailey *

Oboe
Edward Kay * §
Rebecca Kozam

Cor Anglais
Holly Randall

Clarinet
Barry Deacon *
Cara Doyle
Sarah Thurlow

Bass Clarinet
Cara Doyle

Bassoon
Tammy Thorn *
Emma Selby

Contra Bassoon
Kim Murphy

Horn
Amadea Dazeley-Gaist
Ruth Spicer §
Rob Harris §
Kevin Pritchard §
Edward Lockwood §

Trumpet
Paul Bosworth *
Peter Turnbull §
Tom Freeman-Attwood

Trombone
Kevin Morgan * §
Robb Tooley

Bass Trombone
Guy Berry

Tuba
David Kendall

Timpani
Sacha Johnson

Percussion
Matt King * §
Ben Lewis
Alastair Marshallsay
Iris van den Bos
Francesca Lombardelli

Harp
Eluned Pierce * §

Celeste
Alistair Young